These 1% of berths that could change everything for you
The law opens a discreet but strategic door for you: reserved seats, Fewer waiting, more freedom. As long as you have the right engine on board.
Finding a place in a marina in high season is often an ordeal. Multi-year waiting lists, saturated rings, endless negotiations with marina managers... The reality of the port market in France is one of structural tension between growing demand and a stagnant supply.
However, since 2022, there has been a legal provision that most boaters are still unaware of and that could radically change the situation for those who switch to electric propulsion.
A discreet law, but with concrete implications
📜 ARTICLE L1521-4 OF THE TRANSPORT CODE
“As of January 1, 2022, in marinas with a capacity of more than one hundred berths, at least 1% of berths benefiting from a one-year private arrangement are reserved for electric vessels.”
Adopted as part of the 2019 Mobility Orientation Act (LOM), this provision went under the radar of the vast majority of boaters. And that is precisely where the opportunity lies.
In practice, any marina with more than 100 berths is now legally required to reserve at least 1% of its annual seats for boats with 100% electric propulsion. In a port with 400 seats, this represents 4 dedicated seats. In a large port with 1,000 seats, there are a dozen berths that cannot be attributed only to electric boats.
Why is this 1% much more valuable than it seems
On paper, 1% seems negligible. In reality, it is a priority access to places in ports where the waiting list sometimes extends over five to ten years.
Imagine a popular port on the French Riviera, in Brittany or in Normandy, where each vacated space elicits dozens of applications. These places reserved for electric vehicles are not subject to the same competition. : they constitute a distinct breeding ground, accessible only to owners whose boat is certified with electric propulsion.
Fewer competitors, same type of place. That is the definition of a competitive advantage in a tense market. Boaters who switch to electric vehicles don't just choose a mode of propulsion — they gain priority status recognized by law.
The concrete advantages of the electric boat, beyond the berth
⚡ Access to restricted thermal areas
- Lakes, nature reserves, protected coastal areas: the electric motors open up navigation territories that are inaccessible to thermal energy. A navigation territory that is expanding considerably.
💰 Cost of use divided by ten
- For a 4-hour outing, count €0.50 to €2 for recharging against €15 to 40 for gas for an equivalent combustion engine. Over a season, the savings can reach several thousand euros.
🔇 Silence as a new form of luxury
- Sail without engine noise, without vibrations, without hydrocarbon odors. A radically different onboard experience, loved by fishermen and boaters looking to observe marine wildlife.
🔧 Almost non-existent maintenance
- First comprehensive maintenance after 10,000 hours of sailing. No oil filters, no belts, no oil changes. The mechanical simplicity of electric motor directly translates into savings over time.
🌿 Regulatory Anticipation
- Thermal restrictions in sensitive areas are multiplying. Going electric today means freeing yourself from the constraints of tomorrow before they become obligations incurred.
Weenav engines: designed to take full advantage of them
Accessing these reserved seats requires being equipped with a truly electric motor — approved, certified, and up to the requirements of modern navigation. That's exactly where it comes in. Weenav, French engine manufacturer and integrator specialized in marine electric propulsion.
Two complementary ranges, designed to cover the entire existing fleet of boats — from recreational semi-rigid boats to large-scale professional vessels.
ELECTRIC & HYBRID SERIES OUTBOARD
KRONOS
Electrical power, turnkey
POWER 80 hp (59 kW) — 300 hp (220 kW) continuous
PROPELLER COUPLE 780 Nm
- 400—800 V architecture, 97% motor efficiency
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- Power: up to 22 kW (3-phase 32A)
- CCS combo (up to 200 kW)
- Integrated touch interface on Garmin
- Watertightness: IP67 marine certified
- Retrofit possible on any outboard compatible boat
The KRONOS is a direct replacement for your existing thermal outboard motor. Compatible with all boats initially equipped with outboards, its installation is quick and does not require any structural modification of the hull.
INBOARD ELECTRIC & HYBRID SERIES
ARION
For large sizes
POWER 50 hp (37 kW) — 500 hp (375 kW) continuous
MAINTENANCE First revision recommended at 10,000 hours
- Mainly software maintenance
- Integrated Garmin touch interface
- Power: Up to 22 kW (three-phase 32A),
- CCS combo (up to 200 kW)
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- IP67 components
- Compatible retrofit without structural modification
Compact, lightweight and impressively powerful, the ARION fits discreetly into the wedges. It adapts to all inboard boats and can be coupled to any existing engine for a hybrid version.
Made in France, designed to last
Weenav is a French company whose engines are designed and assembled in France. Each system integrates a touch management interface developed with GARMIN EmpirBus allowing real-time monitoring of charge status, consumption and navigation data.
Charging at the port: an infrastructure that is being deployed
One of the most frequently asked questions from boaters considering the switch to electric power concerns charging. Is it easy to recharge at the dock? The answer is yes and the infrastructure is improving rapidly.
Les Weenav motors are compatible with AC Type 2 charging sockets up to 22 kW, available on a growing number of pontoons. For quick recharges, the Combo CCS plug allows you to go from 10% to 90% of charge in just 30 minutes.
Concretely, Recharge your electric boat Dockside is often cheaper than leaving a generator running. And in many ports, charging is already included in the seat price.
The time to act is now
Les berths reserved for electric boats are still little known and not in demand. Precisely for this reason, action must be taken now, before the competition arrives.
In a few years, when quotas will be increased to 5% and tens of thousands of electric boats will have joined the French marinas, these places will be as contested as the others. Today, they are not. The window of opportunity is open and it won't stay that way forever.
Going electric with a KRONOS or ARION engine from Weenav, it's to make a economic choice (drastic reduction in usage and maintenance costs), a ecological choice (zero emissions, preservation of fragile maritime areas), and a strategic choice — access seats that your pontoon neighbours simply cannot claim.
Ready to take your place in the port of your dreams?
Find out which Weenav electric motorization fits your boat — and start taking advantage of the benefits reserved for electric boats, starting this season.
Posted on 25/03/2026
Editor: Sophie Castelain
